A Brief History of the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is often times considered to be one of the most famous bridges in the United States and the world. It was constructed as an alternative method to link San Francisco to Marin County other than ferries and boats. Efforts to have the bridge constructed began in 1928, with six counties in California coming together to form the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District. By 1930, a total of $35 million dollars would be secured to finance the building of the bridge, with the chief engineer being Joseph Baermen Strauss.

However, many believed that the Golden Gate Bridge was impossible to build. The history of the Golden Gate Bridge is one that entails much opposition and lack of support by many at the time. Many opposing the construction believed that the high velocity winds, the formation of fog, ocean currents, and boating activity in the area would not allow for the bridge to be constructed properly. However, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began on January 5th, 1933, and would finally be completed in 1937. The Golden Gate Bridge was painted in International Orange, with its famous towers measuring 746 feet. Over 80,000 miles of steel wire were used in the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.